The wreckage of a Pan American Airways plane has been discovered 74 years after it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, an accident that led to mandatory airline safety briefings.

The Clipper Endeavor was found 2,000 feet (610 meters) below sea level off the coast of Puerto Rico using a sonar-equipped drone. It went down on April 11, 1952, after multiple engine failures shortly after takeoff.

All 69 passengers and crew survived the impact, but confusion over locating life vests and rafts as the plane rapidly sank resulted in only 17 survivors.

The disaster prompted sweeping reforms, including compulsory pre-flight safety briefings on every commercial flight—a practice now standard worldwide.

The expedition was led by the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation in partnership with Discovery Channel's Expedition Unknown. Foundation president Russ Matthews said the team was determined to find the wreckage before the 75th anniversary.

The wreckage was located in June 2025 using an autonomous sonar drone, which detected the fuselage and tail in two sections. A photographic survey confirmed the Pan Am logo and aircraft name were still visible.

Expedition Unknown host Josh Gates remarked, 'Every time you step onboard an airplane today, you are safer because of what happened to Clipper Endeavor three-quarters of a century ago.'

The discovery may offer hope for families of passengers from other planes lost at sea, such as Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared 12 years ago with 269 people onboard and remains unfound.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk